Results 7,201-7,220 of 8,833 for speaker:Verona Murphy

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: The Department deals with EU regulations. Is that correct?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: Spain, Italy and Portugal, for instance, have recognised the driving licence for drivers from Ukraine. We have an EU driving licence system, yet we cannot seem to get the RSA to make a move on that. What I have been hearing from colleagues, Deputies and people within the sector is that the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has no difficulty granting the permits; the difficulty...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: I greatly appreciate that.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: I appreciate that because ultimately it will fall back on the Exchequer and the economy if we end up without drivers.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: It is, and it is very important for the country.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: In regard to IDA Ireland and foreign direct investment, FDI, I am an Independent Deputy from Wexford, as Dr. Quinn will know, and I am quite concerned about the lack of what I would call FDI coming into Wexford. Of the figures quoted, that 27,000 additional jobs were created outside the Dublin region, will Dr. Quinn tell me what portion of them came to Wexford in, say, the past two years, or...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: I heard that said earlier about the region and I appreciate that, but I would ask for a breakdown. I have a concern in regard to the region. Last week the Department of Transport was before the committee. In the south east there are Waterford Regional Airport and Rosslare Europort. The previous Government granted funding of €15 million to Waterford Regional Airport which was to be...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: I am sorry to interrupt but my time is up. If I may, I will ask Dr. Quinn to qualify one point. Does the Department have an input in terms of advising, with Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, how those infrastructural pieces are managed, such as in the context of the promotion of the area or region?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: I thank Dr. Quinn. I will take the matter up again.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: Can I pick up on the matter of collaboration between Dr. Quinn's Department and the Department of Transport in coming up with a system that makes the employment permit for HGV drivers accessible? Have Dr. Quinn and her Department been specifically tasked to come up with a system where we can access employees, outside the four that are there?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: The Irish Road Haulage Association, IRHA, is the only representative organisation of the licensed road haulage sector in the country. Has the Department had any engagement with it based on the needs?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: Has Dr. Quinn had that feedback? This is where the issue seems to be. As I said, there are two defined issues. One relates to licensing and the other to the employment permit itself. With the current system for granting permits, the sector is unable to access employees satisfactorily. Outside that, no other jurisdiction has agreed a licence with Ireland. The Ukrainian licence is...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: Initially, with the TWSS, Revenue was asked to complete eligibility reviews for employers and it had completed 95% of eligibility checks by the end of February 2021. In the case of the restart grant scheme, the Department did not specify the proof that may be required to confirm eligibility for the restart scheme. Therefore, it may be difficult to verify the claims paid. Does that...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: I might-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: I could be more specific. The issue was that the Department did not specify the proof that would be required to confirm eligibility for the restart schemes. That is what I am asking about. As it did not, what will that cause? Why did the Department not specify the proof that would be required at the outset?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: That is what I am asking. In hindsight, when it was not stipulated in the first instance and if somebody does not provide them now, where does that go?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: Okay.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: I have a last brief question.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: I presume Mr. Hughes cannot hear me.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

Verona Murphy: That is fine. I thank Mr. Hughes for his comprehensive answer. It is like anything else in that when it boils down to the legality of it, we do not want to end up with legal fees and battles over stuff that probably is just a lesson learned. I appreciate how busy it was and how quickly it was rolled out. I have a brief question. Is there a set period of time in which the amounts paid to...